Motor-vehicle.



No. 894,060. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908. R. RUEMELIN.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 894,060. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908. R. RUEMBLIN.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 894,060. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908. R. RUEMELIN.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION IILED JULY 1. 1907.

3 SHEETSSHBET 3.

u.,.......I,I-IIIIIII.IIWIZQ citizen of the UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD RUEMELIII, OF HUNTINGDON, PENNSYLVANIA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Application filed July 1, 1 907. 1 Serial No. 381,608.

QMotor-Vehicles, of W 'ch the following is a specification, reference being had therein to t e accompanying drawing.

My invention relates motor vehicles and it has for its objects to provide a construction em loying a subrame adapted to support al of the power mechanism entirely independent of the carriafie body; to provide a simple, automatica y adjustable connection between the front axle and the sub-frame to prevent torsional strain due to unequality 1n the road;

frame, portions of the axle,

to -providemeans whereby the entire power equipment and driving axle and wheels may be bodily removed from the sub-frame; an improved and simplified steering mechanism; an other features of novelty and advantage as shall be more Referrin longitudina vertical machine. Fig. 2 is a fully hereinafter described.

sectional view of the plan view of the subwheels and power I equipment being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a view 1n front elevation of the machine partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a vertical sec-' tiona detail view indicated by the line. IV. IV. of Fig. 2. 'Fi .5'is a detail view'in elevation showing t e mounting ,of the rear springs. j

The main sub-frame or underframe consists of a framework composed ofside bars 2, '2, of any suitable cross section, as angles,

and preferably of structural steel, connected at their front endsto cross bar or sill 3 and intermediate of their ends by transverse mo:

' tor-supporting bar 4.

dependently of the 0t 5, 5, represents journal bearings for the rear axle and its housing, the lower caps 6 of which bearings are removable for the urpose of bodily'removing the rear axle an the iterntire power equipment upon jacking up the ame.

The rear driving axle consists of two sec-- tions 7, 7, divided at their middle portion for the purpose of drivin either axle section 1ner by the usual or any suitable transmission gearing, indicated at 8.

l within their inclosing shells in ourna to improvements in tov thedrawings:Figure l is a The axle sections 7 are mounted at their inner ends withinbearings 9, 9, of casing 10 of the engine frame, and at their outer ortions, Fboxes 5.

The axle sections 7 are surrounded at their outer portions beyond the engine casing at each slde by tubular shells 11,-11, within which the axle rotates, said shells being rovided with suitable bearings 12, 12, at t eir outer ends and carrying the rear sup orting- 13, 13, with suitable raking traction wheels drums 14, 14.

The motor frame or casing 10 is so constructed as to inclose Within a dust-proof inclosure all of the working parts, gearing, etc., and is provided with the usual actuating cylinder or cylinders 15, either vertical or hori-.

zontal, together with the usual valves, connections and other mechanism commonly employed with motors of this type. Transmission of power from the engine or 'rom the motor of any suitable type to the axle may be effected through any suitable sprocket chain from the drlvewhee 16 on engine shaft 17 to driven wheel 18 on shaft 19, and from thence throughchange s eed gearing 20 and transmission 8 to thee e. a

At itsforward end the engine casing 10 is su ported at one (point only by means of a bolt 21 supporte in bracket 22 through which it passes, by means of a surrounding cushion spring 23, the bolt 21 bearing thereon by its head 24 and passing downwardly through the bracket 22 which is rigidly mounted on cross bar 4, by means'ofan embracin tends below su porting bracket 22 with an intervening cus ion spring 26, and engages the forwardly extending bracket 27 of the engine casing by its lower bolt head or nut The-engine casing at its rear portion is provided with separable flanged collars 29 secured at each outer side of the casing around the -axlev sections '7 and fixedly secured to shell 11 The entire rear portion of the engine casing is thus incorporated with the sai sections 11 in such a manner as to rovide a continuous journaled mounting or the back portion of the power equipment. By this construction, in combination with the. single-point fr nt support, the whole power plant of the ehicle is mounted upon the under-frame without any connection clevis or frame 25. Thebolt 21 exwhatever with the vehicle body, in such a manner as to be resiliently mounted to avoid the jarring effect of shocks or vibrations of the frame in service.

At its forward end the under-frame is connected with the front axle by a horizontal pivotal joint inclosing the steering mechanism constructed in the following manner; 30 represents the front axle shown in elevation in Fig. 3, of any suitable design to support the load, having mounted at each outer end by the usual vertical bolts. 31, the separate front wheels 32. Said front Wheels are, as is commonly the case, independently mounted,

and are connected by crank extensions 33 and connecting rod 34 so as to work together.

35 is a bearing box mounted upon the front sill 3, through which passes a tubular bearing shell 36 which likewise passes through axle 30 as shown, saidshell bein of suflicient strength and rigidity to provide a strong bearing. Asthus connected it will be seen that the front end of the under-frame is-pivotally mounted upon the axle so that either wheel may rise or fall or the front axle 30 may be deflected up or down to any extent without imparting any resulting movement or torsion to the under-frame.

Sleeve 36 is secured Within the axle and sill 3 by suitable means, as a flanged collar 37 at the front and a holding nut 38 at the back, or b any similar eflicient mechanism, and in addition to the function of pivotally supporting1 and connecting the sill and axle, also provi es a tubular bearing for the steering rock shaft. Said rock shaft 39 is mounted within tube 36, extends through it from the back to I the front, and is provided with back and front levers 40 and 41 respectively. The front lever 41 is connected by universal joint 42 and connecting rod 43 with cranks 33 of the front wheel frames, while crank 40 at the back-is connected with any suitable actuating mechanism. I have shown-in the 'draw-. ings a rack bar 44 for such purpose, actuated by pinion 45 at the lower end of the steering rod 46 of well known type, mounted in any suitable bearings 47, but it willbe observed that any other means for ac'tuating the rock shaft 39 andjor swinging the front wheels ma be used.

order to provide good bearing surfaces between the front sill 3 and the relatively movable vertically oscillating axle 3O flat faced shoes 48 are secured to the corners of the under-frame at each side in front extending above and below sufficiently far to insure en agement against'the back ortion of the a e 30 at all positions. By't means the direct thrust of the underframe against the axle is insured independent of'whatever position the axle may assume;

49 represents the vehicle bod of any design or type, mounted entire y independently of the working mechanism and above the main frame upon the back elliptical springs 50, set above the journal bearing 5 at each side of the main frame, and u on the single transversely arranged elliptica spring 51 mounted uplon front sill 3, said springs supporting at t eir upper portion the vehic e body only.

By means'of the construction above described it will be seen that the load of the driving mechanism is in no wa supported by the vehicle body, but entire y upon the under-frame, leaving the vehicle entirely free above its supporting springsand available for the weight of the passengers. The balance and equilibrium of the machine, due to the mounting of the front axle and of the power equipment, are features of great advantage; the simphcity of the steering mechanism is novel and valuable the removability of the motor and its parts with the rear axle facilitates repairor examination; and these various featuresof advantage will be fully appreciated by all those familiar with this class of vehicles. The fact that the vehicle body is light and supported entirely by its springs without the burden of the'power equipment renders it unnecessary to employ especially resilient tires or the ordinary pneumatic tires, so that solid tires may be used of the type shown. I consider this as one of the important features of the invention,.obv1ating the necessity and expense of the usual pneumatic equipment, without sacrificing any of the desired elasticity or resiliency of the carriage body.

The various features of improvement which I have described may be incorporated with motor vehicles of. varying types or design and the invention may be or changed by the skilled mec amc, as I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction shown and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a motor vehicle, the combination of a rigid underframe flexibly connected at the front with a horizontally pivoted front axle and its wheels, bearings at the rear portion of the underframe having readillly. separable portions, axle inclosing she s plvotally mounted in said bearings, rear axle sections rotatably mounted in said shells, driving mechanism therefor removably and resiliently supported on the underframe, and a motor and gearing incorporated with said mechanism and with the axle, said portions comprising a readily removable power equl ment for the vehicle, substantially as set fort 2.. The combination with the front and back axles and an underframe having a flexlble connection with the front axle, readily eatly varied and within the separable'bearings and a front member and sefiarating the back axle bearsuspension member supported from the'bearing bar with intervenmg ufiper and lower sprmgs, and a motor within t e casing geared with the back axle, said motor casing and itsmotor earing, tubular shells, back axle and wheels derframe by detaching the front suspension ings, s'ubstantia eing bodily removable from the'un y as set forth 10 In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD RUEMELIN. Witnesses:

Gg-S. GERLACH, R. A. ORBISON. 

